I was referred to her colleague who handles wisdom teeth extractions, but he quickly dismissed my case because my tooth is impacted and he fears damaging my jaw's main nerve. He, in turn, referred me to a maxillofacial (oral) surgeon down the hall who will see me early next week.

I've already had 4 molars removed from when I wore braces. I remember the banana-tasting gel applied to my gums to numb them, and the eight shots I got with a needle suitable for injecting horses (!). Then there's the loud, cracking sound of the dentist pulling my teeth out with pliers!